daniel chigunwe
Columbus Mabika and Vongai Chinjeke
A continuous learner assessment programme has been adopted to compliment public examinations to help reveal the learners’ potential so talent can be identified and nurtured and the right careers chosen for the benefit of the learner and the country.
Previously, learners were only being assessed through formal examinations at Grade 7, O-level and A-level.
Presenting a paper titled “The role of education in nation building and development” to students of the national defence course at the National Defence University yesterday, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Dr Evelyn Ndlovu said the continuous assessment would go a long way in helping learners choose the right careers.
“For years, our assessment of learners has always been through formal examinations at Grade 7, O and A levels,” she said. “We have come to accept that this type of assessment does not reveal the learners’ potential. Consequently, some learners find themselves pursuing careers they had no particular flair for.
“Because of this realisation, my Ministry has adopted continuous assessment as a strategy for talent identification and nurturing.
“It is our hope that continuous assessment together with public examinations would give us the toolkit to identify and nurture talent.
“This would go a long way in helping learners choose careers that would result in their self-upliftment and enhance the socio-economic development of the country.”
Dr Ndlovu said from infant education to secondary education, the learners will be continuously assessed to identify their areas of interest and assess their potential for making a success of themselves in these areas with professional guidance and assistance offered along the way.
“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education had put in place strategies to ensure that Zimbabwe’s curriculum is reviewed so that it speaks to our national values in line with the new Constitution to take pride in heroic resistance to colonialism, racism and all forms of domination and oppression,” she said.
Dr Ndlovu said with the curriculum framework for primary and secondary education running from 2015 to 2022, Government was placing great emphasis on learning of agriculture because Zimbabwe is an agro-based economy.
Against this, Government had streamed the learning of agriculture from primary to secondary level.
Minister Ndlovu said Government, in talks with ministries, will continue to advocate for improved working conditions of teachers and other civil personnel.
“Education cannot be complete without the teacher’s welfare,” she said.
“Over the years, the Ministry has witnessed perennial teacher’s strikes and high staff turnover.
“In liaison with other concerned ministries, we will continue to advocate improved working conditions of teachers and other personnel in the civil sector.”
The curriculum development and technical services department would continue to work on strategies to ensure that learners recover lost time from Covid-19 lockdowns which halted physical lessons.
Online Reporter